Living the simple life in Princeton has offered us rewards that I would like to share with all who care to stop in and see. From natures outdoor beauty to indoor cooking and everything in between. Welcome to my very special world in rural Wisconsin.

Summer view

A View From Our Deck

Friday, April 25, 2014

Another Busy Day On The Homefront With Wood Ducks and More

Today it has been a very very busy day on the home front. I have not gotten anything done. The minute I start something, I see some new sign of summer. I got up at 6:00am today because I knew it was going to be a sunny warmish day. The forecast for the next few days isn't nearly as nice. The first thing I always do in the morning is make coffee. It only takes three minutes with my awesome and very old Bunn coffee maker. When it's done I relax in the chair and look outside. I love this time in the morning when everything is quiet, and no one else is up. Today the first thing I noticed was all the wood ducks have paired up. Up until this point they would hang out in a group with a few pairs mixed in. Today a pair was swimming in the water, a pair was sitting in the tree and a pair was walking right past the wood duck house and climbing the hill.

Next I saw a great big bird out in the marsh. It didn't have a white head but it was as large as an eagle. I couldn't get close enough to see what it was, but when it flew it was gigantic. It takes three to five years for an eagle to get its adult coloring. This could have been a young one.

The big bird is sitting in the photo about half way up to the left of the tree.

In spite of the cooler water temperatures, the turtles are peeking out. The sun probably feels good. Soon there will be tons of them out sunning themselves on any branch or surface they can find. The flooding makes it a little more difficult.

The leaves are budding out. The pussy willows are gone and the willow is now getting its leaves. The red winged blackbirds like to sit in the willow tree.

Pussy Willow bush is getting leaves.

Tamarack Tree is getting it's new needles. Tamarack trees are pine trees that lose their needles like a deciduous tree.

The most convincing sign today was the return of the Tree Swallows. They usually compete with the Bluebirds for birdhouse space, but there aren't any bluebirds in our yard today. I see them on the property but they must not be ready to nest. The Tree Swallows always settle on the same house. No matter how many choices we give them, they like the blue-gray house.

I could hear them squawking at each other as soon as I went outside. One must want to live here and the other doesn't.

All this has happened, and it is only noon. I need to go and get some chores done. If anymore signs of summer happen, I will report on another day. Considering we live in the middle of nowhere, there is a lot happening today. Even the common Male Mallard duck was ready for his close up.